Geneva bistro: Matthieu Frey, a toque en pointe in Rive

“Kombujime, trout, dashi yuzukosho”? “Mussels like a splinter, ponzu whiskey”? “Lamb karaage, mizuna, fermented lemon, gochujang”? Sacrebleu, I’m floundering! Upon discovering these cryptic culinary promises, the most seasoned gourmet scratches his head. While salivating with curiosity. These UFOs with Japanese accents are signed by the very young chef Matthieu Frey. And are among the ten creations that he will cook up at Bread de Rive from January 14 to 1^is FEBRUARY.

This is a presentation residency, at the end of which the 24-year-old cook will permanently manage the gas cookers at the Vietnamese counter on Place des Eaux-Vives. This Matthieu, some already know him having tasted his foufou dishes last year, made four hands with Olivier Alvarez, at Sabi in Carouge. He left the Cité Sarde restaurant in September. And presto, here he is at Rive.

Lyon and Hokkaido

Note that this is a small leap in view of the young man’s already impressive career. He was born in the year 2000 on the Ile de Ré. The grandfather is a cook; the cordon bleu grandmother. Meals fascinates him. With his baccalaureate in hand, he did his apprenticeship, alone in the kitchen with an Italian chef who was as much a teacher, in a good bistro in La Rochelle. “Truffle, hunting, fresh sole; I was lucky, at just 18 years old, to be able to work on exceptional products.”

Then head to the prestigious Paul Bocuse Institute in Lyon. Matthieu did some notable internships: at Roellinger in Cancale, at the Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz. At the end of his course, he spent seven months in a cooking school on the island of Hokkaidō. So in Japan. Japan whose culture he venerates. “I had to relearn everything. The gesture. The product. The techniques. In Europe, we are going at full speed. A sushi master begins by learning the art of rice for… ten years.”

At Bánh Mì, with his mysteriously exotic menu, he hopes to “make people travel, but without taking a plane”. We are happy to board.

Jérôme Estèbe directs the cultural section and the weekend supplement. It covers, in particular, gastronomic and oenological topics. He is the recipient of the 2002 Berner Zeitung local journalism prize. More info

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